“Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man” by William Kurelek

The Life of GNAY in 5 Paintings

At the age of eleven I left the dust and drudgery of the potato farm to pursue my art ambitions in earnest. I quickly blossomed into a handsome young man with a penchant for painting the female nude. My studio became a madhouse “art factory” with adult film stars, drug addicts, and stock traders all vying for my attention but adding to my studio’s “creative vibe.” Things got pretty crazy (yes that’s a brain on my plate, don’t ask) but I was young, gaining in popularity as an artist, and enjoying the spotlight. At the age of 22, Rolling Stone called me a “rising star and the one to watch”. At 25, the NFB filmed a flattering short based on me and my work, entitled, “Whimsical but Thought Provoking – inside GNAY.” At 26, I made the cover of High Times. At 28, predictably, I found myself in rehab.